Rest or support for cigarettes and cigars



March 4, 1952 M. F. CONNELLAN REST OR SUPPORT FOR CIGARETTES AND CIGARS Filed Aug. 6, 1947 INVENTOR.

MARTIN F OONNELLAN A TTORNEIY Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,588,208 REST OR SUPPORT FOR CIGARETTES AND CIGARS Martin F. Gonnellan, Pasadena, Calif.

Application August 6, 1947, Serial No. 766,730

3 Claims- (01. 131-257) This invention relates generally to smokers equipment or accessories and is directed particularly to improvements in rests or supports for cigarettes and cigars. v

In the usual cigarette and cigar ash tray means is provided for the support of the cigarette or cigar when the smoker desires to put the same down 'for a, few minutes, such support frequently being in the nature of a groove or recess formed across the rim of the ash tray or a short post or pedestal mounted on: the rim of the ash tray and carrying a curved or channelled plate in which the cigarette, or cigar, is placed. With supports of this character cigarette or cigars continue to burn and not infrequently burn to a point where the outer end of the cigarette or cigar over balances the inner .end so that the burning body falls ofi on to the table or floor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for the cigarette wherein the latter when laid down will have a covering element disposed over it so that it cannot be knocked off, such cover element also vfunctioning to extinguish the cigarette when the lighted end has burned down to the inner edge of the support upon which the cigarette rests.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which includes a fixed bottom portion having a substantially semicircular groove or recess therein and in which the cigarette is placed, and a movable top or weight element which is pivotally attached to the bottom section and which has a semi-circular recess designed "to match the recess in the bottom section to form a cylindrical or tubular passage in which the body of the cigarette is retained, such pivoted weighted portion functioning to hold the cigarette in place and also to extinguish the same when the lighted end has burned into the passage in which the cigarette ishoused. Still another object of the invention is to provide a rest or support for a cigarette or the like,

as above described, wherein means: is provided for automatically effecting the closing of the weighted top portion over the body of the cigarette as the cigarette is placed in position in the recess in thebottom portion.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration'of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings :forminga partof the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is' not to be understood as limited to the. exact details of constructionrshown and described :since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. i v

,ceive a cigarette.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of i a. cigarette holder constructed in accordance with an em bodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but show ing the weight member raised.

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectiontaken substan tially on the line 4-4 of Fig ure l.

Figurefi is a view in perspective of an ash tray showing the invention as a part thereof.

In describing the function ofthe present inven! tion reference will be made only to the'useof a cigarette in association therewith in viewof the fact that cigarettes are more commonly smoked than cigars and also to avoid unnecessary repetition butit will be understood that wherever the word cigarette is used in describing the use of the invention it will be understood that cigars or other similarly formed smokes are included.

The present invention may form a part of-a pocket element or it may be incorporated with may be carried about for use by a smoker. In

this form there is illustrated a base portion 1!) which comprises a block of metal or other suitable material having aflat bottom wall I l'where by .it may be placed upon a table or other ,sup% portin surface. This bl ck or base portio 10 may be made of any desired length and thick-.- ness and the top face or surface [2 is provided with transverse substantially semi-circular chanml or recess l3 of the proper size to snugly re:

The numeral I4 generally designates a weight body which may be formed .of the same material as the bottom portion land it may also 'beof the same general configuration whereby thef'under face l5 may rest nan upon the topface' I: of the base .or bottom body ,I 0. While the top design or configuration of the weight body l4 may hinged connection as indicated generally. at .IT.

This hinge connection as here illustratedcomtprises a hinge ear, l8. which'is formedintegrally with the top of block) atone end of the block and extends upwardly iromthe ,face 12,, and the pair of spaced ears 19 which form a longitudinal end extension of the weight body l4 and have the ear l8 positioned therebetween. The ears l8 and I9 have aligned bores 20 formed therethrough and transversely of the device to receive the pintle pin 2|. Thus it will be seen that the weight body I4 is hingedly attached to an end of the base or bottom of block I!) so that it may be swung from a position where it is'superimposed upon the top of the base block to a raised vertical position as is shown in Figure 2.

The under face of the weight body 14 has I a substantially semi-circular groove or recess 22 formed transversely thereacross and of the same radius as the groove or channel l3 and in a position where it will match concentrically with the channel l3 when the weight body is in lowered It is pointed out that a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention is in connection with its use upon moving bodies such as automobiles, yachts, planes, etc. where the vibration or movement of the vehicle would tend to jar a cigarette or cigar from a holder of the usual or ordinary type whereas in the present invention the cigarette. or cigar would be firmly held and no amount of jarring or swaying would cause it to fall from its support.

To facilitate the raising of the weight member or top l4 use may be made of an upstanding member such as that illustrated and designated 21. As will be readily apparent when such a member ismade a part of the weight body the weight body may be easily lifted by moving the ""sid'eof the hand against the member 21 or by position thereby forming a completely circularpassage or bore of a diameter to snugly receive the body of a cigarette. j I

One end of the pintle 2;! has an integral right angularly extending portion, 2,4,which lies across the outer side of the adjacent ear [9 and this is formed integral with the terminal portion which, is parallel with the pintle and extends across a terrace portion [6.

Theopposite end of the hinge pintle 2! is connectedwith the right angularly extending relativelyzlong bar 26. anglejwith the portion 24 at the opposite end of the hinge pintle .The angular relation betweeni the bar 26 and the portion 24 of the pintle is such that when the weight body is swung; to opened position as shown in Figure 2, where it will lean slightly from the perpendicular away from; the remote end of the base block H], the bar 26 willbe elevated to a position substantially in the plane of the top surface I2 where its free end will extend across the channel I3.

-' When the smokervdesires to rest the cigarette in'the-support and places the lighted end in the recessf;l 3 this action will effect the depression of the-free end of the bar 2'6 and tilt or cant the weight-body M to a position where it will fall by gravity horizontally on the top l2 of the base body. The lighted end of the cigarette will then be caught or clamped betweenvv the two bodies in the passage 23 formed by thesemi-circular recessesj'j3 and 22 and if allowed to remain for any length of time so 'as .toburn down to the end of thefpassage 23 it will be snuffed or put out and in addition it will be securely held so thatit cannpt fall out of place;

Figure 5 illustrates the application of the invention to a conventional type of ash tray which is generally designated Ilia. The side or rim of this "ash tray corresponds to the base block ll}; having formed therein and transversely thereof a semi-circular recess l3a corresponding to the recess 13. Upon the'top of the rim of theash receptacle the weight block Ida is pivotally attached by the hinge pintle 2la. The inner end of this pintle is attached to the right angularly extending bar 26a which functions in the same manner as the bar 26, in that it extends across the upper part of the recess I3a when the weight body Ma is-raised.

It can readily be seen that whether the invention is made a part of an ash tray or is in a form where it may be conveniently carried injthe pocket the operation is the same. Accordingly, itis believed to be unnecessary to go into a more detailed description ofthe construction and operation of the weight body Ma as this is the same as the body It.

This bar forms an obtuse grasping such member with the fingers. Also, if desired, the member 21 may be of suitable form or shape to receive printed matter for advertising purposes and the like. Forexample, such member 27 may be in the form of a keystone, the same being the symbol used by and as identifying a particular railroad system. Other organization might make use of similarly formed members which would servethe double function of a means for facilitating the raising of the weight body and also for advertising or identifying th'e or? ganization putting out the cigarette holder or using ,thesame. v1

I claim:

1.. A support for a lighted cigarette or the like, comprising a base body having a top surface of a width materially less than the lengthof the cigarette, said top surface having a semi-circular recessformed transversely'therein to receive the lighted end. of the cigarette, a1v weight body adapted to positioniupon said top'surface, a hi'nge connection between the. weight body and the" base whereby the weightizbody maybe swung upwardly from the top surface, said hinge including a pintle pin, said weight body having an undervface provided with a semi-circular recess transversely thereof and of the same radius as the firstrecess, said semi-circular recesses being joined upon the swinging of the weight body-down to rest upon the top surface of the'first body to form a 'cir-. cular cigarette holding passage, and a bar forming a right angular extension of one end of the pintle and movable with the weightbody to as sume a-position across an end oi therecessin the base bodywhen the weight body is raised and to swing downwardly below-the firstmentiofied recess wnenthe weight body is lowered.

' a body having.v a top surface provided wima recess of a length less than the length of a, cigiarette and in which the cigarette may beplaced, a weight body designed to be positioned upon the first bodyqacross said'recess, said weight body having a transverse recess to coincide with the recess of the first body to form a tubular receiver in which the cigarette is secured, a pivot coupling between the two bodies at one side of the recesses, and. an element connected with the weight body and adapted to move in a position across an end of the recess in the first body when the weight body is in raised position and to swing vdownwardly away from 'the recess of the firstbody when the weight body is swung down into closed position. v r c. :1

3. A support fora lighted cigarette, comprise *ing a basebody having a top provided witha top across the recess, the weight body having a recess which coincides with the first recess when the weight body is in closed position to form a tubular enclosure for a portion of a cigarette, a hinge coupling the weight body with the base at one side of the recesses to swing on an axis substantially paralleling the recesses, the weight body having an open position in which it stands substantially upright from the hinge, the weight body swinging freely to its closed position by the action of gravity when it is shifted to a predetermined extent in one direction from said open position, and a lever bar secured to the Weight body to position across the first recess above the level of the bottom thereof when the weight body is in said open position, said lever moving to a position below the level of the bottom of the first recess when the weight body is moved to its closed position.

MARTIN F. CONNE REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 368,467 Fouts Aug. 16, 1887 397,883 Wright Feb. 12, 1889 1,012,346 Fraser Dec. 19, 1911 1,911,262 Athon May 30, 1933 1,988,760 Thomas Jan. 22, 1935 2,188,692 Schultz Jan. '30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Norway Apr, 3, 1944 

